The Tour of the Matterhorn is regarded as a relatively ‘new’ tour, as it has been documented only in the last few years. However, the trek takes in many ancient trails which have linked the Swiss and Italian valleys together for centuries. On this trek the walker becomes a traveller again, crossing cols and frontiers that were used in the old days by porters, soldiers, peasants, traders, pilgrims and bandits. The trek is quite rigorous and weather conditions have a strong influence. The crossing of some passes requires glacier-travel techniques, and the high altitude traversed requires a good level of fitness.

This tour is considerably more demanding than the Tour du Mont Blanc but forms a good progression for those who have already done some Alpine hiking of this type. At 145km the Tour of the Matterhorn is long and should not be rushed. Those with limited time would do better to reduce their trek rather than try to complete the whole thing in a hurry. Ideas for shorter versions are given in the Short Walks section.

Here the tour is divided into seven stages. These are not daily stages, but logical stages, normally from one valley to another. There are usually several accommodation possibilities and hence various ways in which the stages can be divided up. If you choose to do the whole route you can expect to take about 10 days; if you have time you can always take longer. It is difficult to avoid a couple of half days, but in a trek this long that’s probably no bad thing. If you choose to use all lift possibilities, do long days and to take the shortest options, the trek can be completed in seven days – but it seems a shame to rush it.

The Tour of the Matterhorn coincides with two other long-distance treks. From Zermatt to Arolla it follows the Walker’s Haute Route Trail, and from Breuil-Cervinia to Grächen it takes the Tour of Monte Rosa. Those wishing to do these treks at some future date may wish to miss out these sections, but there are variations for some parts so doing the stages twice may give a chance to cover all options.

Whilst the treks in this region are becoming more popular they have not achieved the fame of the Tour du Mont Blanc, and are unlikely to do so, being rather more arduous and involving more complicated terrain. On many parts of the tour you will experience relative solitude and can expect to see plenty of wildlife.

So, where to start? Since it’s a circular tour, theoretically it can be started anywhere along its length, but clearly some places are easier to get to. It is usually nice to start and finish somewhere accessible transport-wise, where you can leave excess gear, buy picnic food and celebrate at the end. To my mind it’s good to do this tour with views of the Matterhorn at the start and finish, so the route is described from Zermatt. The French information recommends starting from St Niklaus or Gruben-Meiden, but do you really want to start and finish a trek when the main feature is out of sight?

Next decision – which direction to go in? It’s generally done anticlockwise, and since I can’t think of any reason not to go this way that’s what I’ve described. It seems to work that way, and also means that the highest altitude comes at the end when you’re fully acclimatised.

The Matterhorn is situated near to the Mischabel and Monte Rosa massifs in the Pennine Alps, bordering southern Switzerland and northern Italy. Extending eastwards from the Col Ferret to the Simplon Pass this huge range contains the largest concentration of peaks over 4000m in Europe. The Swiss–Italian frontier forms the Alpine watershed and the most grandiose summits are to be found here, their huge glaciers snaking down into the valleys, on the Swiss side flowing down to the Rhône, on the Italian draining to the Po.

The enormous barrier of the Pennine Alps represents the pressure zone created when the African tectonic plate collided with the Continental plate. Mountains were forced up and consequent erosion has produced the incredibly spectacular scenery that exists today. Peaks such as Liskamm, the 10 summits of Monte Rosa, the Täschhorn, Dom and Weisshorn (to mention just a few), whilst slightly less lofty than their famous neighbour Mont Blanc, are at least equal in grandeur and splendour.

The Tour of the Matterhorn owes much of its variety and interest to the fact that it visits two distinct regions: the Swiss region of Valais/Wallis and the Italian Valle d’Aosta. Although these two regions are physically close and have a shared history of trade, agriculture and simple survival in this harsh mountain environment, there are many contrasts of culture, architecture, food, language and traditions. Passing from one country to the other you will be struck immediately by the differences in landscape, architecture and farming methods before you even hear any language spoken.

Walking through the mountains and the valleys, and passing through the villages, will give you a chance to discover what makes each valley unique, as well as experiencing the common cultures that unite the region.